Drug Enforcement Administration

Dansville man sentenced for his role in meth conspiracy

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Kruskall, New York Division, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Donald McKinney, 53, of Dansville, N.Y., who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distributing 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison by U.S. District Judge David G. Larimer.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Hartford, who handled the case, stated that between January 2017 and April 25, 2017, the defendant conspired with others to ship high purity crystal methamphetamine from suppliers in California into Dansville, N.Y., where it was then distributed. McKinney regularly communicated with co-conspirators Thomas Williams and Julie Cota in California and arranged for them to ship quantities of crystal methamphetamine to him in Dansville, via parcel service. The defendant paid Williams and Cota $1,000 per ounce and then sold the crystal methamphetamine to another co-conspirator, Kurt Redance, for $1,400 an ounce. In turn, Redance distributed the crystal methamphetamine to others, including sales at The Boneyard, an auto salvage business in Dansville.

McKinney is one of seven defendants charged in this methamphetamine conspiracy. All seven have been convicted.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the DEA’s Rochester Resident Office; the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department; and the New York State Police.